450 show at forum for gas drilling

By Denise Richardson
Staff Writer

August 07, 2008 04:00 am

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ONEONTA _ The risks of drilling for natural gas and the regulations governing development were presented at a meeting in Oneonta on Wednesday night.

The 21/2-hour program included the history of Marcellus shale and its location in the region, the process of drilling and ended with a highway superintendent cautioning about the impact rigs would have on local roadways.

An estimated 450 people were present in the Belden Auditorium of Oneonta High School, said Terry Bliss, Otsego County planning director, in opening remarks at the county-sponsored meeting.

A geology professor, an official with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the director of the Southern Tier East Regional Planning Development Board were among speakers.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation canceled its participation, it said, because it was instructed by the governor to update its rules on gas drilling. The agency is working on a supplement to its generic environmental impact statement to account for advances such as horizontal drilling.

Bliss said the DEC will hold public hearings on the GEIS supplement, perhaps as soon as next month.

Thousands of upstate New Yorkers, including more than 1,500 in the three-county area, have leased their land to drillers.

State Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, told the audience the gas drilling presents ``opportunities, challenges and risks'' that demand management.

Seward said he supports the DEC's review of the GEIS, which may be in draft form by spring. Permits won't be issued to companies without ``full disclosure,'' he said, and local governments should be involved.

Edward G. Atkins, of Jefferson, said he attended Wednesday's program because he is curious. Gas-drilling issues, like those with wind-energy development, can become controversial even among friends, Atkins said, and he and others want to have a community meeting in Jefferson to address issues.

Presenters also cautioned about the industry's use of water and truck traffic, as well as sites that have construction, a slurry pool and possibly temporary housing for workers. If natural gas is discovered and drilled in quantity, they said, storage facilities and transmission lines will need to be established or upgraded.